Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

The Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology program at IIT is the oldest, most successful, and most respected program in the Chicago area. Through intensive training in research methods as well as experience in work settings, our Ph.D. program prepares you for a career in university teaching, industry, government, or consulting. You will acquire a strong theoretical and methodological background in various areas of I/O psychology as well as experience in work settings. Many students in the past have presented and published their work.

IIT's I/O Ph.D. program follows the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology's (SIOP) Guidelines for Education and Training. These guidelines, approved by the American Psychological Association, help to ensure that our students receive the best possible training, covering areas of competence, using the best methods to develop that competence, and curricula formats in which to teach those areas.

Program at a glance

A minimum of 96 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree is required for the Ph.D., which includes the following:

Individual specialties may require completion of additional courses. There is no foreign language requirement. Details concerning speciﬁc program requirements are available from the Department upon request.

Research training is an important aspect of your education. At IIT, you will be educated in the scientific process of psychological research, in accordance with SIOP guidelines. Such training begins in the first year working with faculty on their projects and continues up to conducting your own research. You will be required to complete a minimum of two research projects during your academic program. This will prepare you to present posters and papers at conferences, which provide valuable experience and professional contacts. Research activities are normally conducted with your advisor, but you may also work with other I/O and non-I/O faculty members. You also have the flexibility to change your primary research mentor if your interests change during the course of training.

Internships

You will complete six credit hours of internship, which is completed doing six months of part-time field work at one or two sites. You may choose to intern at a consulting firm or in the training division of human resources or personnel department of a major organization. The Chicago metropolitan area will provide you with ample choices for your internship experience.

Recent placements have included:

Advocate Healthcare

Metrus Group, Inc

Vantage Leadership Consulting

Walmart located in Bentonville, AR

Daniels Consulting Group

National Computer System (NCS)

Organizational Resources

Aaon Consulting

Saville & Holdsworth Ltd. (SHL)

SRI International (California)

United Airlines

Wonderlic

Chicago Board of Education

Strategic Talent Solutions

CME group in Chicago

CEB Valtera, Greater Chicago Area

Shedd Aquarium, Chicago

Testing specialist at City of Chicago

US Cellular

Chicago Art Museum

Chicago Modern Art Museum

APT consulting

Funding Opportunities

Scholarships

The I/O division gives one-year, half-tuition scholarships (4.5 credits per semester) to a number of first-year students, based on merit. The John Scott Scholarship is also available.

Teaching assistantships

After the first year, students can apply for a teaching assistantship. TAs receive partial-tuition reimbursement and a monthly stipend, along with teaching experience. These positions are quarter time (10 hours per week).

Fellowships

The Arch Pounian Fellowship for Industrial/Organizational Psychology is awarded to one outstanding student each year with an excellent academic record, and who is highly engaged in presentations and publications. Continuing students are invited to apply each spring for the award of $5,000.

The Phil S. and Harriett C. Shurrager Industrial/Organizational Psychology Endowed Fellowship funds one I/O graduate student each year and is selected by the program directors.

Grants

Funding may also be found through faculty grants and, upon availability, the I/O division provides merit-based funding to students selected by the faculty.

Eligibility

The Department of Psychology accepts Ph.D. applications for fall entrance only. Applications and supporting documents must be received by February 15. Minimum requirements for admission include:

Bachelor's degree with 18 hours of psychology course work including experimental psychology and statistics